Hachiman
Hachiman is in the far south-east of Khul, isolated by the Shios'ii and the sea. It is a land of great fertility and natural resources, and as such its inhabitants have rarely felt the need to venture away. - ???; - p.??/??; - p.?? Isolation The inhabitants of Hachiman have little contact with the rest of Titan, although they do send ambassadors to visit the Isles of the Dawn. - para 111 In their isolation the people of this land have developed a very unique culture, combining deep spiritual belief with a ruling warrior class which has highly developed combat skills. Political Structure The ruler is known as the Shogun, lord over a number of lesser nobles each of whom controls one of the small baronies dotted around the land. The majority of Hachiman's population are peasants, tied to their feudal lord as surely as slaves. They are happy however for their culture teaches them to be content with their lot and that their place in the scheme of things is as important as their lords. Hachiman is not renowned for producing great sailors either and as such does not have a strong maritime tradition. Hachiman is also the name of that people's God of War. The land is called Ojin by the dignitaries who actually live there (which is also another name for the God of the War). This name is strikingly similar to the south-west Khulian name for the God of Battle Rage, Oiden. Perhaps some ancient link can be inferred. History The Shogunate of Hachiman is just over five hundred years old. A huge battle took place around 1780OT, in which were involved the Legion of the Seventh Seal and the First Shogun. As to whether it was a foreign invasion or a civil war it is not known outside of Hachiman, for Hachiman has been isolated for many years, the only contact being with the Isles of the Dawn. In all likelihood therefore, it was internal strife. As this was the first Shogun, this was a new form of governing the land and there would have been many warlords who opposed the Shogun's appointment or rise to power over them, so the period may well have been one of civil war. The name of the King/Queen or Emperor/Empress who appointed the first Shogun is not known for sure. The first Shogun was still a good 800 years after the Splitting of Irritaria and Hachiman was probably ruled by an Emperor/ress before the Shoguns took complete power. Samurai probably existed well before the appearance of Shoguns. Ancient Civilisation It is also known that there was once an ancient civilisation in the area pre-dating the Shogunate by many years. As to whether this culture had an Emperor is not known, but no doubt they were the ancestors of the present culture. It is highly likely that the ruins of this civilisation are akin to the cultures which once lived in the lands of Ancient Khul such as Kelios. Certainly the people of Hachiman are aware that there was once an ancient civilisation. It is also known that they are aware that the mists were not always there. Therefore there is some remembrance of this civilisation, which could surely only be passed down if the people who occupy Hachiman are descended in some way from that ancient civilisation. Further Notes *In , hachiman means 'eighty-thousand'. Whether any connection is intended between this meaning and and the land of Hachiman is unknown. *The isolated nature of Hachiman, surrounded on three sides by mountains, is probably inspired by the Japanese city , capital of the , which is surrounded on the north, east and west by hills. See Also References Category:Khulian Lands and Regions